Tablecloth stretcher



May 19, 1942. P. M. HlNTz TABLECLOTH STRETCHER 'BIH Filed June 17, 1 939 awww.

I N VENT OR.

VL B l Patented May 19, 1.942

uNiTEosTATE-s PATENT voFFicia.iff;

2,283,367 TABLECLOTH STRETCHER Peter M. Hintz, Detroit, Mich. Application June 17, 1939, serial Nb. 279,632

, are slow of accomplishment and areoften quite unreliable.

The present invention has for its object toprovide a very simple and eiicient device, for the purposes in mind, capable of assembly and use by an unskilled operator and readily adjustable to the shape and size of the piece to be dried. It also provides a device which, from the very simplicity of its construction, lends itself to pack-` ing, storing, shipping and marketing in a form characteristically compact in quantities. This is an important feature of the device.

Still further objects or advantages subsidiary to the aforesaid objects or resulting from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into eect will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into eiect, I may provide a length, say ten feet, of iiexible metal or other suitable tape, capable of being exed to the form of a circular or elliptical frame-like form with the ends of the tape overlapping, means for securing the said ends of the tape in adjustable overlapped relation according to the frame diameter desired, and pins or equivalent means adjustably movable along the tape into any desired spaced relation to receive the margins of the piece of material to be stretched. All of which is more particularly described and ascertained hereinafter, by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawing, where:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved stretcher set up for use;

Figure 2 is a broken elevation of the device in its at or extended condition as stored and marketed;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of one end portion of the tape;

Figure 4 is a similar view of the other end portion of the tape;

Figure 5 is a detail elevation of the overlapping is an extended strip of flexible tapeof a spring'y f Y locking means such as would tend to throw the.Y

ends of the tape embodying a modied type -of fastening means; and Y Y, Figurev 6 is a plan of the arrangement shown in Figure 5. Similar characters of reference indicate siinf ilar parts in the several figures-of the drawing; I Referring rst to Figures 1 to 4,.' inclusive. .41

nature, and spring steel suitably rust-proojied is very satisfactory for the purposes. For a laundry pieceof three feet Vin diameter, a tape of ten Afeet in length, one to one and a half inches in width, and about 16 gauge steel may be suitable in most cases. However, such dimensions may be greatly varied according to the weight of fabric to be stretched, the type of usage to Vwhichv the device is to be subjected, and other considerav tions as will be readily appreciated.

The tape is flexible as nearly as possible entirely in one plane, on account of its flat cross section, and is adapted when flexed fully to overlap at its end portions, as at 8, the degree of overlapping being controlled according to the size of, ring or frame to be formed.

One of the end portions of the said tape is provided with studs or buttons 9, which may very conveniently be pressed out from the material of the tape as clearly shown in Figure l3. The opposite end portion of the said tape is provided with suitable slots I0 therein with which the said studs may be engaged when the said end portions are overlapped, and the said portions thereby so secured in such overlappingrelation.

By selecting which of the slots is engaged by the studs, adjustment of the amount of overlapping is attained. While only one stud is necessary for the purpose, I prefer to provide more than one in order to secure greater rigidity in the overlapping joint, especially as to the maintenance of alignment of theends of the tape and prevention of angular movement about the frame into distortion from its desired at plane.

The said slots IU may be provided with oppositely extending branches il and l2 vadapted to be passed under the heads of the studs in either direction of the length of the tape. Thus, either the expanding eiect of the spring frame may operate to effect the engagement of the studs with the branches ll of the slots, or the compressive pull of the material or work on the said frame may eiect the engagement of the studs with the branches I2. This is merely a question of the method of use, and may vary according to the nature of the material being stretched,'and

its Weight relative to the strength of the frame.

I3 are pins or fasteners of any suitable form carried by and preferably slidably adjustable along the length of the tape to provide for attachment of the piece of material to the frame, and further description of these does not appear to be necessary as their use is Well known in ordinary curtain stretchers. Y

In Figures 5 and 6, the slots and studs are eliminated, a plain flexible tape I4 being used, and the overlapping end portions secured by a C clamp I5 through which the said end portions adjustably pass. said end portions in position of adjustment.

Where the piece of material is other than Iis a set Screw to secure the i I tape at intervals or provided separately as thought necessary or desirable.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims Without departing from the spirit of the said invention and it is desired that the specication and drawing be read as being merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:V 1. A stretcher for round lace table cloths and similar nat textile articles, comprising a single highly flexible ribbon of springy material having adjustable connection at its ends for joining the t latter and presenting the ribbon of material in a round, for instance elliptical, the frame may be 1 readily converted to such form by simply pressing opposite sides of the frame inwardly itoward the center until the properproportions of lengthjv to width is obtained. Despite the large sizes -in which these stretchers may be provided, they may'begstored in iiat extended form and easily tiedup in bundlesfor shipping or marketing so that they occupy a minimum of space, which is-a verfy` important consideration in the commercial handling'of the article. Its storage in the-house or'laundry is also greatly facilitated. Furthermore, the Vdevice can easily 'be marketed-in certainY maximum lengths from which they may be shortened-to the drawn from the roll to the length called for, the

pins being thereafter applied to' the length so cut off, and thelocking means already formed inl the 4hoop form, said ribbon being readily extensible Hinto ajflat length when its ends are disconnected and meanscarried by the ribbon of material for separably engaging the edges of a cloth or work to be stretched, said means comprising pin elements extending from an edge ofsaid ribbon,l

tion with each other, one of the ends ofv thehoopl being formed with alatching slot and a latching device carried by the other' end and engageable with the'slot for separably'latching bothy ends together, and a largeplurality ofmeans-carried -by said hoop and movable, relative thereto for the attachment of the extreme edges of an article to be'stretched atly over the face ofsaid hoop g at relatively frequent intervals throughout the circumference thereof.,v

PETER M; HINTZ. 

